Evolution of a Horse Painting: Part 2

Merlyn ( in progress painting) a.m.cairns 2011
www.equineartportraits.com

I am at the easel this morning working working on my Merlyn painting, in light of some very high, gusty winds having made their way across the pond to our shores. It is a mostly puffed out version of one of the hurricanes that have been wreaking havoc in North America, but so far the only impact for me is no riding Merlyn today, as I am far too much of a fearty to get on board in wild and wet weather. We will probably have a few trees down later in the day, I would think.

So I am back at the house, listening to music and the howling wind and making good progress. It is coming together quicker than my previous paintings, so either I am getting more confident or is it just much easier when you know the horse well. You can kind of see his expression and very inch that you have groomed and groomed almost without of it without looking too hard at the photo....it frees me up a bit, very relaxing too.

I went along to the Braeface jumping yesterday, but Alison had opted out of taking part on Merlyn. She had around a million other things to do and knew too well that the round of jumping plus the prep and waiting around wipe out most of the day and leave her much too exhausted to tackle pressing non horsey matters.

All the same she and I popped along for a look to watch the some jumping. Super cute ponies (and kids) and extremely confident little riders, some as young as six getting ditched at a jump and bravely getting back on (with a bit of parental coercion, it must be said!). The event was vary laid back and fun rather than the seriously competitive with an audience of just the riders and families mostly. I was surprised to see that 'grown up' jumping started at just forty centimetres or sixteen inches to my American friends. You know that's not very high, I have started to think I would like to give it a go sometime.

I have never jumped a course or take part in any horsey events and I had some serious doubt about my ability to remember a jump course, but Ali assured me its not so hard,  that the jumps are set up so that he next jump is usually the easiest to get to. We walked the kids course so that I could see how it worked - you know I have a lousy memory for names, sequences and the like but my sense of direction and visual memory is not so bad and I think I could cope with eight jumps, maybe a few more.  The next event is in a couple of months so if I can get a in few jumping lessons on him, I might just be up for giving it a go.

Ali says the best thing about jumping Merlyn is he is dead honest.....I think I might call my painting that.

You can see it in his face, I hope.

Mother and I: Mare and Foal

I have been working on a watercolour for which I am just putting a few more touches to later today. It is of a lovely a Shire mare L.A. and her foal Maverick for CedarHills.


Mother and I: Watercolour Painting of Mare and Foal
copyright a.cairns http://www.equineartportraits.com/



  Painting it makes me rather wish the pair were mine!

Art in progress...picky feet.



In progress painting, copyright A.M.Cairns



What is it about horses feet that are so challenging. They can be nearly as much a pest to pick as they can are to paint, but you can't gloss over the care they need.  

These are in need of some attention, but it's late now, so tomorrow belongs to them.....

.....and maybe Merlin, if the weather forecast for gales and torrential rain, proves to be wrong!

On the Easel....New Horse Painting

I don' know why I say on the easel, it is on the coffee table, being painted at eleven at night, in appalling artificial light and the backdrop of Lady Gaga in concert on BBC Three. It was all I could do to just listen, as had I looked up too often I might have started to dance and then the painting time would be hi-jacked.

Untitled - In progress painting
copyright A Cairns, http://www.equineartportraits.com/

Painting is thanks to a beautiful photo which caught my eye on Red Hot Ruby's Blog of one of her horses in a dust storm in Texas (thank you so for being kind enough to allow me to use your photo!)

She is still in progress, I need to work in a little more detail into the background so that I can come back to the foreground and work on the tail, which looks great in the photo, splaying out in the wind.

She is shaping up nicely, feeling really good, although the camera flash has been kind and tomorrows daylight may not be!

Bitter Chocolate finish

So it has been little and infrequent touches of the paintbrush this week but little by little my bigger piece of a grey horse is getting closer now. I sat by the fire tonight on the floor and mixed up a dark bitter chocolate paint mix of Burnt Umber and Phthalo Blue, and it looked good enough to eat.

Sitting on the floor a chocolate brown rug I carefully slicked it around the edge of the canvass all the way, a dark ribbon an sweet finish. I knew I wouldn't paint on until I was 'nearly done'. Like a nice pudding after a well earned dinner.

He is nearly ready to be varnished, but now I need to sit  in his company and wait to see what draws my eye, what calls me back to the canvas for just a touch more paint...patience, not to seal him as finished too soon!

Rough riding....and a new Horse Painting

Such a quiet week from me, brought about by first off by much activity at work and later by another terrible flat work riding lesson this week that left me at the point of despair and ready to chuck it in. My riding seems to be deteriorating week on week right now, and I have begun to approach lessons with not the usual exhilaration, but rather a feeling of dread, sometimes feeling close to tears by the end of another gruelling often fruitless hour of failing and flailing. It is all in the head now, I know that. It is one of those 'conquer you demons' and mine is an affront at any failure of any sort. By the close of Thursday lesson I concluded that it is time to give up riding the harder horses. I brokered a deal with two of my riding school mates to get there early and grab a horse of my choosing for a few consecutive weeks to see if I can remember how I used to seem to be able to ride until around 6 weeks ago when it all started to unravel.....wish me luck! 

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On the Art front, it took a few days to recover from said lesson but today I found my way back on track with my art and started a new piece in acrylic and canvas....only started and 'in the rough' although maybe not quite as rough as my shockingly bad riding! Here he is, propped up on my piano so I can get a better look at him in the morning with a nice strong cup of coffee.

Sam: not giving me an easy ride...again

 

My lovely Sam has been giving me a rough ride on the painting front, and I had to start him again. I am roughly back where I was a few days ago, although I hope with a little finesse. I now need to keep a nice light seat until the finish line. Please Sam, give me a break and let me finish in a little more style than last time I rode you!

Sam stands: Painting of a Thoroughbred started today

This is a new one I have just started....based on Sam, a beautiful sweet natured horse I loaned about 13 years ago.


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He was such a handsome fella, a 16 hand Chestnut Thoroughbred, a retired racehorse who was a little out of condition when I began riding him, but soon much too fit for the relative novice that I was. 

I adored Sam, until such time as I broke my arm jumping off him at a gallop. Then I still adored him but was in no fit state to ride even a bicycle for more than a year after. He passed a few years after our short dalliance.

I have no photos of him....not one. I guess I was too busy riding him to think of a camera, after all, no phone cameras back in the days! Although I don't have a picture, I do in my head, and having leafed through my books I found his horsey doppelganger and set to work adding some background in keeping with the Mugdock surroundings that I associate with the lovely Sam...

To Sam, you handsome big horse. I hope I can do you some justice with this one when I finish.....and I forgive you your love of the grass under your toes.x

What a difference a day makes.

Here is Hudson once more, looking a little more refined! Right now he is treading the line between 'nearly done' and completely 'over worked'....I think we call it 'finished'

Hudson in Watercolour & Pencil
copyright EquineArtPortraits

Friday night art (with wine)

I am working on this lovely big horse at the moment. His name is Hudson, and he is only part done at the moment.....needs a bit of detail work on him but I am happy with this for an arty evening in front of the TV with a nice glass of red wine!

Watercolour of Hudson (in progress)
copyright EquineArtPortraits

Much better to do the detail work in good light and with no wine, I find!

On the arty front again...indecision

Following a 2 evenings spent in conflict with an acrylic painting - not a medium I can lay any claim on - I have put it on the back burner. This is after all supposed to be a pleasurable pursuit, like riding itself, so whatever issues I have with the paint, I am working around the edges of.

And so I have returned to an old favourite, the watercolour, and have started to layer some wax pencil on top, giving in a nobbly dimpled look, as if a little pixelated.




Mixed Media Horse Study
Copyright EquineArtPortraits

 
Now I have reached that point of indecision, based on the fact that the wrong choice can undo your hard work so far ......background or none?

That is the question.....anyone??

Less is more...the charcoal challenge.

I thought I would take the painting that I had started of Ice back to basics and do a charcoal study of him. I like this photo I am working on as it has a lot of contrast around the cheek and he has a nice bend in his neck. 




Charcoal study of Ice, Hazelden
copyright A. Cairns

 As ever the less you draw, the more important each mark becomes, so this is different to building up a horse portrait in coloured pencil, where you can build up the artwork in layers, adding depth as you go. 
Less is more, but often harder to pull off well!

Charcoal work can look great when it works out well, so well worth putting in some practise .... little an often is best,as with all in life! It also means I can take what I learn from the study and use it to add depth to the painting.

 

Working on a New Horse Painting

As I mentioned I am all fired up having received the Society or Equestrian Artists January newsletter....I have am enjoying a little creative limbering up on a horse painting which I will be working up this month. 



Sketch Painting, Ice, Hazelden
copyright A.Cairns



I am drawn to the red for the background, not quite sure why, but its good to trust your instinct!